Thank you for your interest. Hope to talk with
you soon!
Bookings (U.S.A. and Canada):
Joe Cullison Acoustic Productions
5761 Kentucky Downs Drive
Macon, GA 31210-1262
478-405-0076
joecullison@acousticproductions.com
Short bio / promotional paragraph
Hailed as a “Celtic guitar god” (Baltimore
City Paper), Robin Bullock’s virtuosity on guitar,
cittern and mandolin blends the ancient melodies of the Celtic lands
and their vigorous Appalachian descendants into one powerful musical
vision. From 17th-century Irish harp tunes to spirited jigs and
reels to haunting and evocative original compositions, a Robin
Bullock concert perfectly balances lightning-fast fingerwork one
moment with tender, quiet intimacy the next, creating a unique and
magical experience. Robin is a winner of the Association for
Independent Music's prestigious INDIE Award (with the world-music
trio Helicon), multiple Washington Area Music Association WAMMIE
Awards, and Acoustic Guitar Magazine’s annual “Editor’s Pick”
Award for his duo CD Celtic Guitar Summit with Steve
Baughman.
Short bio / promotional paragraph for Christmas
show
The music of Christmas, perfectly suited to the
ageless tones of the acoustic guitar, comes to life in Robin
Bullock’s concert of carols and hymns spanning over 600 years,
drawn from his bestselling holiday recordings A Guitar for
Christmas and A Midnight Clear. Internationally
recognized as a master Celtic instrumentalist, Robin celebrates the
many moods of the Yuletide season in gorgeous guitar
interpretations, augmenting his six-string virtuosity with
selections on cittern, mandolin and piano. Combining familiar
favorites such as "What Child is This," "The First Noel," "O Little
Town of Bethlehem" and his show-stopping solo guitar arrangement of
"Carol of the Bells" with lesser-known pieces such as the
traditional Scottish carol "Rorate," the Irish "Wexford Carol" and
the Shetland Islands fiddle tune "Christmas Day in the Morning,"
Robin weaves a spell from centuries of tradition and the joy of the
season, creating an unforgettable evening of acoustic Christmas
cheer.
"An intimate, soulful performance that's become
a holiday tradition. Just a guy, a guitar and some soft
lighting...better than any religious experience I've ever had." -
Maryville (Tennessee) Daily Times
“A
Guitar for Christmas is beautiful all the way around.” –
George Winston
Long bio
Hailed as a "Celtic guitar god" by Baltimore
City Paper, Robin Bullock is a prolific composer and
virtuoso multi-instrumentalist interpreting the ancient melodies of
the Celtic lands and their vigorous Appalachian descendants on
acoustic guitar, cittern and mandolin. The 17th-century harp tunes
of legendary Irish bard Turlough O'Carolan, the spirited jigs and
reels of rural Ireland, the haunting ballads of southern Appalachia
and evocative original compositions all find a common ground in
Robin's music, where lightning-fast fingerwork one moment is
perfectly balanced with tender, quiet intimacy the next. A warm,
friendly presence onstage, Robin effortlessly creates a magical
world for the audience with his instrumental wizardry, taking them
on a journey to the heart and soul of Celtic and American
traditions.
Originally rising to prominence as a founding
member of the innovative acoustic world-music trio Helicon (winners
of the Association for Independent Music's prestigious INDIE Award
for Best Seasonal Recording), Robin's solo career has won him
multiple Washington Area Music Association WAMMIE Awards, a
Governor's Award from the Maryland State Arts Council, and a feature
broadcast on National Public Radio's hugely popular Celtic music
program "The Thistle and Shamrock." His recorded work includes
seven critically acclaimed solo CDs and four collaborations,
including Celtic Guitar Summit with California fingerstylist
Steve Baughman, which was honored by Acoustic Guitar Magazine
with an "Editor's Pick" as one of the top CDs of 2003.
Born in 1964 in Washington DC, a major focal
point for both bluegrass and Irish music, Robin began playing guitar
at age seven, initially inspired by Doc and Merle Watson, Norman
Blake and John Fahey. Robin's apprenticeship years were spent at
fiddlers' conventions, bluegrass festivals and Irish seisuns,
mastering the subtleties of a half-dozen instruments in both
American and Celtic styles. Today, Robin is recognized as one of the
few musicians who can so successfully blend the ancient airs and
dance tunes of the Celtic lands with the roots music traditions of
the "New World," winning praise from publications as diverse as
Classical Guitar ("A musician whose technical skill and
stylistic expertise are second to none"), Folk Roots ("Celtic
flatpicking hero...a spectacular display of virtuosity and
musicianship") and Bluegrass Unlimited
("Brilliant...inventive interpretations filled with grace and charm
and warmth and insight").
In 2000, Robin relocated to France, and now
lives in the tiny village of Tripleval, on the River Seine northwest
of Paris. He continues to tour and record on both sides of the
Atlantic, solo and in duos with guitarist Steve Baughman and flute
player Michel Sikiotakis. In solo concert, he shares his remarkable
gifts on guitar, cittern, mandolin and piano, combining Celtic and
American ballads, airs and dance tunes into one magnificent vision.
"Breathtaking...brilliant technique, always in service of the
music." - Guitar Player
"Uncanny ability to combine precision, virtuosity and soul...his
reputation as one of the best folk instrumentalists in the business
is well-deserved." - Sing Out!
"A rare combination
of technical virtuosity and emotional nuance...Robin Bullock has
a deep appreciation of the power of music to touch people's
hearts, and the skills to make that happen when he plays." -
Dirty Linen, The Magazine of Folk and World Music
Robin Bullock onstage technical requirements
(for both standard concert and Christmas concert):
CENTER STAGE:
1 vocal microphone (Shure SM58 or better) on
boom stand
3 XLR lines with phantom power (1 each for
guitar, cittern and mandolin) - artist will provide own direct boxes
1 bare microphone stand for guitar preamp mount
Armless chair
Monitor wedge (2, if available)
UPSTAGE, SLIGHTLY TO STAGE RIGHT (IF
AVAILABLE):
Grand piano, tuned at A440, miked as
appropriate for space
Vocal microphone on boom stand to right of
keyboard
Monitor wedge upstage of piano (i.e. to
player's left)
Robin Bullock: Selected solo and duo
performances
Baltimore Folk Festival, Baltimore, MD
Belk Theater, Charlotte, NC
*Bethlehem Musikfest, Bethlehem, PA
Boulton Arts Center, Bay Shore, NY
Carroll Arts Center, Westminster, MD
Celtic Roots Festival, Goderich, ON, CANADA
Common Ground American Music and Arts Festival,
Westminster, MD
Cornwall Folk Festival, Cornwall, ENGLAND
Diana Wortham Theatre, Asheville, NC
Douglass Theater, Macon, GA
Ennis Trad Festival, Ennis, County Clare,
IRELAND
Festival Ris-Orangis, Ris-Orangis, FRANCE
The Freight & Salvage, Berkeley, CA
Gordon Center for Performing Arts, Owings
Mills, MD
Institute of Musical Traditions, Washington, DC
*International Hackbrett Festival, Philharmonie,
Munich, GERMANY
The Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage,
Washington, DC
Longwood Gardens Amphitheater, Kennett Square,
PA
McGlohan Theater, Charlotte, NC
Memphis Acoustic Music Association, Memphis, TN
*Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, Baltimore, MD
Mountain Green Concert Series, Hagerstown, MD
Old Songs Concert Series, Voorheesville, NY
Palace Theater, Maryville, TN
Potomac Celtic Festival, Leesburg, VA
Printemps Celtique des
Yvelines, Les Mureaux, FRANCE
*Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, Halifax, NS, CANADA
Steve Kaufman’s Acoustic Camps, Maryville, TN
*Summer Solstice Festival, Calabasas, CA
Strathmore Hall, Rockville, MD
The Swannanoa Gathering, Asheville, NC
Tarpon Springs Performing Arts Center, Tarpon
Springs, FL
Théâtre de l’Agora, Evry,
FRANCE
Uptown Concerts, Baltimore, MD
Village Theatre, Qualicum Beach, BC, CANADA
Washington Folk Festival, Washington, DC
*Winnipeg Folk Festival, Winnipeg, MB, CANADA
World Folk Music Association, The Birchmere,
Alexandria, VA
(*with Helicon)
Robin Bullock discography
SOLO RECORDINGS
Rosewood Castle (Dancing Wolf, 2007)
The Enchanted Woods (Dancing Wolf, 2005)
A Guitar for Christmas (Dancing Wolf,
2004)
The Lightning Field (Dancing Wolf, 2000)
Between Earth and Sky (Maggie’s Music,
1998)
- WAMMIE Award: Traditional Folk Album of
the Year, 1998 -
Midnight Howl (Maggie’s Music, 1995)
Green Fields (Dorian, 1993)
COLLABORATIONS
The Irish Girl with Michel Sikiotakis
(Dorian, 2003)
Celtic Guitar Summit with Steve Baughman
(Solid Air, 2002)
- Editor’s Pick, Acoustic Guitar Magazine
“Best of the Year” 2003 -
A Midnight Clear with Al Petteway and
Amy White (Dorian, 2002)
Travellers with Butch Baldassari and
John Reischman (SoundArt, 1999)
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